Pilot ring for oil burners



I D Dru; HOWARD PILOT RING 30R on. BURNERS:

' Original 'FiledfApril 19, 1939' qoooooooo 60900000QJ70006h0 V Z7 1 1 inventio ireiates to certai Jul improvements in afbur'nerio I as oil and more particularlyito improvements in a the pilot ring used within 9; bumm r thej'o'pen Patented Dec.'29, 1942 1 Q 1 i I I 'Dairid]. flowardg chicagog llli,"assignontogdnak -er -Manufacturii'ig com any, ;.Ghi ao, 1-i #1 i corporation ot lllin ois ,5 T

a iii-11939, 3 a I 268306; Divided-ans this applicatio oa 1s a,-'9 i), j

ori inal-Terminate April l ndli s i V 1 pi l ot- 'ziiri-g 'for Oil-burners. ofwthe" p'ottypev- Another object is to provide: an improvedv seconalpilot ringgi when u l; s

; pot type. 'Ifhis present appliqation i's'aidivision Another objectis anjinproiiedinilotof. inyI c'dpendingappiioation Serial No,fj'268,706, {5m combrisink' two 'or"*niore-zparts'gof*identical I filed April 19, 1939, iateiit iMarch3, 1942Q1qo; construction adapted to Yhiriged1yiconnectuwith one another to remi a "substantially-rigid ring when resting adjacenti'fits outer edge on; the 1ciropeningsfin the upright oylindrical wallthijdilghf "'"ti'ori will b-moie 'iagppa'rent Imm th'ei'following dewh ch p rtiair e osesfl the top r 'tifie 1 flame willflburnadjacentthis ring and'through fi'incti'oning' much the same as'g'the annular jtop This pilotfringmayhave a sufficiently large out s de diameter toffit' snugly within inept; against M I t I the cylindrical side wall'thereof so m t ane flow 4-Q0 eiinl ttnipp e 'lnearstheybotwhich combustion air is admitted. 0i1 is admittailed description offione a' iprovedsiform chaptedintothelowerpdrtion of the pot" andwhen large central fopening in an jannu1ar' member flln'theaccmpanying drawing t. annular partition or pilot ring is' inour'i'ted iat an I burner assembly. intermediate height within'the pot, and whenflthe 'iFig- Z-is a partial horizontai sectibn aken'subsimply of oiland air is reduced a smaller iiilot 2 if iitial y bri th 1ine2+f=2 'of="1ig'.i1

' "3 is a detail sectiomtaken ubstantially i theiine sa of FigtZ-JQ 1 The main inner housing TO! pot1l, s open at he tonand comprises 'a closed-"bottom :1 portion -lfwhic h is preferably siightly dishedxore-concave, 'and an upright t cylindrical side swali' 3.11The oil or other liquidfiiel is si'inp lied. through a; Pipe the large central opening therein, thepilot ring" member funbtions whenthe sfupplyof oiiand i.

air is increased to sustain vthemaximinnffire. 25

" of gases [or oil-,b'etweenthe portions of'fthejpot m' bf'thepot. The irateuat 'iwhich .the-gfiliil aboveangibelowthe pilot ring must passt-hrough 3 6M ifibu P pe 4 :isis t ontrolled to theiarge'central opening in the'jringflhiit aecorda v v I ing to the present improvementuthe outer, diam- B -0 1 the m jpot'; thus deter- I feed oil at a predetermine'dwrate onto-i the -;iipper leave a passage of-s ibstantiaif' .width between the I The r q ired air for mixingqami ooinhustion a m t n w h t, me are 35 urpose is"sur piied througha plurality of holes provided for centering the'ring so. th'atjthe anoi i gied in the' s de wall 3 or: the p0t. ;:I;a:In the nuialispa fi or, sage between theii 'i id pot .1 fixample h shownf'these h les a arranged will be ot-substa'ntial ly 'iiniform' -v vidth through- 'd f i i-be abbvethe space' between-two holes inrow 6. Also' 'the ho'les are morenumerous and tailhereinaft'er. 4

ent'heig htswithinthe' pot'tb P QP" Tiiebott m ans sides iof-ii'i e 'pot 'l Hakeem- I ri'ngat selected alternativepositions, it? is desir pltely en ql'ogedflinban' t g m g, [Lwhich abieto'make the ring of separatejorhinge'dlycon a t n if 51 v at :t t amannulatwall necte i sections tojfaeilitateinse'i'ting the ring into 12; An o'iitturneq flange 13. at tathe top of; side or.reniov ingthe1 n f m p f wall 3 ofthe potrests on therinner flange? M or 'j Th ei principal object of this 'finventioni 'i'sQ-to t top-waH lzthus'siispending theipot l within the eproilide'an'improved burner iorliquidiuel as 7 housing 1|, 'under.;cdntm11ed pressuretmay V [briefly described hereinabov'eandfdisciosedbin debe'fo'rcei into housing l through the air-tub l5 tau iii the specifications which r n w;

5 leading from ajfsuitabieblower or fan; In order "Anotherhietais taprovide an iinprovedforni Other 'objects-=and advantages o-ftthis invjen- I ara-tiis construc'tetl and operating clac cording to' vaporized and ixed with air burns thr ug the f the p i ples or thisi-invent An Fig.1: "is aeentraiwerticai section ithroiig-hithe in several circumferential rowsindicated at 6, I, 3; Sand) at different successiveheights.) Preferably the holes will'tbe' staggered with, relation g tothehoies in adjacent rows, thatiis aihole in inclined-inwardly and inwardly inthe: upperrow 1 to most advantageously distribute the air supply in housing II to the several inlet openings 8 to Hi inclusive in the burner pot I an intermediate shell I6 i preferably positioned between the pot l and the outer housing II. This shell Ii is provided with a large central opening I! in its bottom so that a considerable portion of the air flow will pass through this opening l1 and;

across the bottom 2 of the pot before reachin the inlet openings 6 to9 This flow of air serves to prevent over-heating andaburning'. out of the pot bottom 2, and also serves to pre-heat theair.

before this air reaches-the combustion zone. Preferably a circumferential series of openings I8 is provided in the upper side wall portion of shell I 6 through wliicli""ai'i'"may pass directly to the upper row of pot openingsjim. As far as the present invention? lsconcerned ity is not essential that the air be supplied to the several rows of inlet openings 6 to ill fin the preferred manner'hereinabove described by way of exampie. The burner may operate by natural draft.

the air being drawn into the'potthrough the several openings by suction from abovegthe upper open end of. the pot.

The top of the pot l is partially closed by the fire-ring 13 in the form of an annular metal plate resting on the top'wall l2 and provided intermediate its inner and outer edges with a downwardly extending circular flange enga ing within the side wall 3 of the 1301350 as to properly center the fire-ring. For convenience in manufacturing and assembling this ring l9 may be made in two similar semi-circular sec tions which overlap at the meeting ends as indicatedat2i.

when this burner is operating normally at high fire, that is so as to provide the maximum l which serves as a vaporizing chamber and as a v 2,soo,44a

pilot-ring functions mu'chthe same as the upper fire-ring. I 3 does when the high fire is burning.

Thisflre burningv in and directly below the ring 23 is the low or pilot fire whichis maintained continuously after the desired temperature has been reached in the space being heated. When 1 more heat is required, the supply of oil and air is increased and-the flame thengleaves the pilotring 23 and burns (for an intermediate fire). in

the space between the rings l9 and 23 and extending upwardly, through"the opening in firering I9, and eventually (for a high fire as already described) burning almost entirely outside and above the pot.

mixing chamber for the fuel and air before com"- bustion actually-takesplace;

It has been found useful,

starting the fire and controlling the fire at lower stages to use a pilot-ring or auxiliary fire-ring within the pot as indicated generally at 23. This ring is usually in the form of an annular metal partition fitting closely within the pot-at its outer edge and provided with a large central opening N comparable with the similar opening 22 in the upper fire-ring Is. This pilot-ring 23 is suppo ed on a circumferential series of studs or pegs 2i projecting inwardly from the side wall 3 of the pot. The ring 23 may be used at selected positions within the pot by supporting the ring on in order to facilitate alternative series of pegs 25' or 25''. Usually a suitable positioning for, the ring will be at a height substantially midway the top and bottom of the pot as indicated in the drawing.

The fire is started by igniting the shallow pool of oil introduced through pipe 4 onto the pot bottom 2. The oil will burn here for a short time until sufilcient heat is created to vaporize a portion of the oil after which these oil gases will carry up the flame so that it will burn from the air The operation ofthi's'type of burner as thus briefly described has beengrea'tly improved by the new type of pilot-ringwhich forms the particular subject matterfof the,aforesaid parentapplication Serial No. 268,706;flled April 19, 1939, from which this present application has been divided. This improved ring 23, instead of fitting closely at its outer edge against the wall 3 of the burner-pot'as was the practice prior to this invention, has. an. outer diameter substantially less thanftheginner'diameterof pot I so that an open annular passage 28, or more'accurately a continuous circumferential series of arcuate openings 28, remains between the outer periphery of the pilot-ring and the wall of the burner chamber, This passage permits a free flow of'gases alongtheinner wall ofthe burner-pot between the portions of the mixing and combustion chamber above and below the pilot-ring. In order to insure the proper centering of the pilot-ring within the pot,the ring is provided with a circumferential series of outwardly projecting lugs or fingers 21 which enga e the inner wall of the pot so that the Y'ann'ular passage 26 will be of uniform width at all sides of the ring. These lugs 21 are small and onLv sufficient in number to insure the centering of the ring so that the passage 28 will'be practically continuous around the entire circumference of the ring. Also, by

, utilizing as a ring-supporting means a'series of widely spaced apart pegs or studs 25 (three in the present example), the-flow of gases through'the outer annular passage 23 is not seriously interfered with bythis supporting means.

This new form of spaced pilot-ring improves I the operation of the burner in many respects.

When the former type of pilot ring fitting tightly against the pot at its outer edge is used, there is a tendency for the fire to snuff out? during the initial stages before the burner is very hot and before the pilot-flame has been well established at and directly beneath the central opening 24 in the pilot-ring. Apparently the tight pilot-ring holds down some of the rich gases formed by vaporization of the oil and .these gas'es, in the absence of sufhcient combustion air, blanket the flame so that the fire goes out. Since the air inlet holes beneath'the pilot-ring are rather widely spaced apart a certain amount ofthe vaporized oil will not be mixed with the air from these holes. Some of this unburned gas will be held down by the pilot-ring and will tend to blanket and "snuif rising through the'centeropening will have partial combustion with air entering from the 1 bottom oipoclret 12' adjacent the forward end oipociret 32 just back or the end portion 28 of holes above the pilot-ring butthisflame. burns a the section which restson thedepressedportion almost entirely at the center of the burnenchamher-and because combustion is not complete the flame is dirty and a considerable deposit of soot" will be left on the side wall oi; the burner'be p tween the pilot-ring 23 and-uppel' flre ring i9. .10 Probably this is partly on account of 18.11 undue cooling oi the s de-wall, an fthejairfintroduced above, as from holes l,= and flowing over the top of the pilot-ring ,has a.;cooling eflect 'on'the 29 of the adjacent'section. it will be l' noted that p the tworing sections are identical, each'hav'ing --a tongue 30 stone end and a tongue-receiving .pocket 32. at, the, other end. The: sections are joinedin an obvious manner by flrst'tipping the meeting ends oiv the sections upwardly so that each tongue 30 can be inserted] through a passage .lpl aiterwhich-,.the sections areswung.

"down to the ""normah substantially horizontal,

ring itself and thereby slowsup-nthe vapo i zs tio n-,. lii,.lidsitionanll. the parts are then engaged as clearly of the: oil in the lower portion cf.;thje burner chamber. 1 v

With the new improved pilot-ring herein disclosed portions of the unburned gases float up shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The two ring sections arenow mutually supporting and function as a substantially solid nit y ring. Itwill be apparent that the sections can be folded together at in the spaces betweenzthe air l tafl 'e' p the "hinge or connectioni forme'd by the interinssbeneath the ring and throughthe outerannular passageii -between thei- 1ing and'sidejwall 3 and come in direct contact-with the air'commg in through the staggered; openings above the ring.

vents the sections from'folding in the other directign-beyond the horizontal' Consequently, it the This mixture of air and gases will ignite an'd'b n g5 asseir'lbled ring is only carried at its outer edge above the pilot-ring and at varying distances from wall 3 since the velocity of the incoming air streams will varyfrom time to time due to v inconstant draft. The flames seem='to dance aseries of widely spaced apart supports (for example,- the three pegs 25, here shown), the parts cannot separate or fall downwardly within the pot beyond the substantially horizontal posiacross the upper surface oi the pi ot-r tion indicated ill-the drawing. This multi-part in the burner and a much cleaner flame, especial ly between the pilot-ring and upper; fire-ring T when operating-at intermediate flre. 'A stronger and steadier pilot-flame is maintained and there is no tendency during the starting period tor the i i only a single supporting studorpeg as, it will rich vaporized gases to build up unduly within the lower {portion} of the chamber-and snufl out the flame. There is less tendency for soot to. be

- deposited on the inner walls of the burner chamher, and the flames burning adjacent the sidewall above the 'pilotring -;would tend to burn away any carbon deposits whih might form and thus keep thepot-comparatively clean. "Also the flames burning directlyj zabove the phgkring keep the ring at .ahigher temperature; the at projected downwardly from 'fring'helping to vaporize theoil."

wardly from and throughthe central opening 22 in this ring) the vaporized oil and primary air within the burner chamber is more efllciently' mixed because of the additional flow of gases through the annular space 26 between the pilotring and side-wallilof the pot. 7

The particular features of --novelty fherein claimed relate to facilitating the installation and removal of the pilot-ring 23, the ring being made in two or more similar arcuate sectionswhich are detachably and hingedly connect'edfat their ad- Joining ends. In thepreferred form here shown,

, the ring is divided into two similar, and preferably substantlally. identical half sections. The end portion 28 of one section: overlies and rests upon the-depressed portion 28 at the end of the other section. A tongue 30 extending' flrstupwardly and then'outwardly or forwardly "from the depressed portion 29 is inserted upwardly through a, assage 3| and then received in a depressed 75 said ring consistingoi a plurality'or identical nearer the center of the type or ring can be assembled after the several partshavebeen individually inserted within the pot, "or a two-part ring, .as here shown, can be f assembled outside the, pot but foldedalong the central connection and 'then inserted.- within the position when above the selected series of supports. When so extended it will-act asa rigid unitary ring, and itone of the sections rests on still be rigidly supported-since the two ends or this section arerigldlylocked with the meeting endsoi theothersection.) I

'Since theiring sections are identical, that is,

adjacent the other end,only. a, le type of section need be'man'uiactured'ior any one diameteror ring. Obviously, a ring oi'this type'might' be made of three or more sections, although the -P 1 section here shown'and described is Pl' lerable."- I v earl-ledv by .a continuous circular supportias is the ease with the upper flree-ring II), the ring be sumciently supported, the meetingends of the two sections simply provide atight flt or overlap, as indicated at 2 I However, it this twopart ring is onlysupported' atilts outer edgeat; widely spaced points (as for example on thethree pegs 2 then it is essential that the meeting ends oi the adjacent se'ctions have a rigid interlocking connection when the'ring is in normal extended position so that the sections will be mutually W supporting, anda single section cannot tip and fall into the pot. The preQnt improved form .oi connection is not only rigid when'th'e ring is in I normal extendedposition. biitalso provides, a suitable hinge connection tog'p'ermit the sections to be folded toward one another or entirely separated I vfrom oneanotheriidesired. I

I claim:

A pilot ring adapted to besupported by its outer, edge portion in a substantially horizontal position within a liquid fuel burner or the pot type,

. pocket "formed in the flrst-nientionedsectiom, v 12 a a e 8| ex nd ward yi through'ithe pet and finally extended to the normal horizontal feachliaeatongue at one end and a pocket 32 portion terminating in a tongue of the same zontally whereby the tongue of each section may be inserted through the opening in the other section and into said recess for engagement with the bottom wall of said recess to interlock the sections together so that the sections may be folded upwardly at the juncture between the section but are prevented from folding downwardly at said juncture. 1

DAVID J. HOWARD. 

